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Marble – School board members are sticking with a plan to consolidate three elementary schools and a middle school in central Cherokee County, emboldened by what appears to be a 3-2 majority of commissioners in favor of the plan.
The school board met Thursday, a rare second meeting in a month. Members went into closed session to discuss real estate related to the plan, which would build a new campus and close Murphy Middle School plus elementary schools in Martins Creek, Murphy and Peachtree.
The plan results in a single campus, location to be determined, that serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Funding would come in large part from a $52 million needs-based grant Cherokee County Schools would apply for, along with a $5.2 million local match that would have to be approved by both the board of commissioners and board of education.
At its June meeting, Commissioners Ben Adams, Alan Bryant and Mark Stiles seemed to favor the plan, which would be enough votes for the plan to proceed.
Board Chair Dan Eichenbaum has been pushing for a new Murphy High School to be built beside the Schools of Innovation and Tri-County Community College in Peachtree.
He said high schoolers have the biggest need for better facilities and programs to prepare them for life and careers, and putting a high school beside the community college will provide better access to college programs.
Commissioner Cal Stiles, for his part, said the school board’s plans lacked specifics. The board asked the school district to come back with more details about the plan before it will vote on the proposal.
Since that time, opposition to the plan has emerged from former school board members, including Brian Mitchell and David Laden, who echoed Eichenbaum and Cal Stiles. He added that the school district has not done its homework, including holding public meetings with families in the affected school zones.
Many school board members opposed a plan to consolidate all three high schools several years ago. That plan was doomed to failure when county commissioners refused to approve the required local match.
This go-round, school board members are seeking buy-in from the commissioners before going through a lengthy and expensive process, they say.
At Thursday’s school board meeting, school board member Jeff Tatham acknowledged plan opponents all have valid points and that the school district will address this issues as the next steps.
“I feel confident this will pass,” he said. “We just need more details.”
The school district has $3.1 million remaining in an account previous fed by Article 26 sales tax proceeds. That funding source, which was used for maintenance, was appropriated by commissioners to help balance the county’s budget. Remaining school funds are expected to last only two or three more years, with no replacement in sight.
Although there is a need for a new Murphy High School, Tatham said, a replacement would save the school district nothing. Consolidating four schools into one, on the other hand, could result in substantial savings in operational costs.
Arnold Mathews, vice chair of the school board, said a four-school consolidation is the first phase. The board is not saying forget about a replacement for Murphy High, but there has to be a first step.
Board Chair Shannon Raper agreed.
“We have to start somewhere,” she said, adding that more discussions will follow about the next phases.
The school board approved the four-school consolidation concept on a 7-0 vote. “How often does that happen?” she asked.